1. Field
The present application discloses a test handler and a test tray for holding packaged semiconductor chips while they are tested in a test handler.
2. Background
A handler puts packaged chips through one or more electrical tests after they have been manufactured. The handler transfers the packaged chips from a user tray to a test tray and supplies the test tray to a tester. The tester includes a test board with a plurality of sockets. The handler makes the packaged chips in the test tray contact with sockets of the test board. The tester then performs the electrical tests on the packaged chips. After grading the packaged chips according to test results, the handler transfers them from the test tray to corresponding user trays.
The handler includes first, second, and third chambers. In the first chamber, the packaged chips in the test tray are heated to an extremely high temperature or cooled to an extremely low temperature. In the second chamber, the packaged chips in the test tray receive the electrical tests. In the third chamber, the packaged chips in the test tray are cooled or heated back to room temperature. The packaged chips in the test tray go through the first, second, and third chambers in this order.
There are multiple different kinds of test handlers which have slightly differing configurations. In some handlers, the first, second and third chamber are arranged horizontally. In others, the first, second and third chambers are arranged vertically. In some handlers, only a single test tray of chips is tested at one time in the second chamber. In other handlers, multiple test trays of chips are tested in the second chamber simultaneously. Examples of such test handlers are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/753,553, which was filed on Jan. 9, 2004 and in Ser. No. 11/713,683, filed on Mar. 5, 2007, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
These handlers require a moving apparatus for moving the test trays through the first, second, and third chambers, in this order. And the test trays require various features which the moving apparatus can grasp or push or pull to move the trays through the various chambers.
Unfortunately, the moving apparatus in the various kinds of handler are not compatible with each other. In other words, the features on the test trays which the moving apparatus use to move the trays is different for the different handlers. As a result, a test tray having a single configuration cannot be used interchangeably between the different types of handlers. Instead, multiple different types of test trays must be used.